Fly to Kuala Lumpur International Airport (own arrangements), where you will be greeted by our Australian guide and transferred to your hotel (transfer and hotel included in price) to rest and refresh. Should you decide to travel earlier, please make your own way to our hotel this evening. We will meet for dinner, introductions and orientation. Overnight: Kuala Lumpur (en-suite hotel room; meals included: D).

After an early breakfast we’ll depart Kuala Lumpur for the drive to Bukit Tinggi, a bird-rich hill with native forests and beautiful botanical gardens. Our first introduction to Malaysian birding will be an impressive one with many birds awaiting us here, including a chance of the rare Malaysian Peacock-pheasant. Moving on to Krau forest, a remnant lowland rainforest which provides us for a chance of two of Malaysia’s most beautiful species: Banded Pitta and Scarlet-rumped Trogon. We’ll have lunch in a local restaurant and travel into the interior of the peninsula, to the jewel in the crown of Malaysia’s National Parks: Taman Negara rainforest. We’ll settle into our accommodation for the next couple of days before heading out for more birding. Overnight Mutiara Resort Taman Negara (en-suite hotel room; meals included: B, L, D).

We’ll spend two full days in well-known Taman Negara National Park. Protecting the largest remaining tract of virgin rain forest in peninsular Malaysia, it is often regarded as one of the finest reserves in the world. A visit to Taman Negara is a profound experience for any naturalist. On entering the forest one is immediately overwhelmed by the awesome tranquillity and timelessness of this vast natural cathedral. Tall evergreen trees with their huge buttress roots, luxuriant lower storey undergrowth, clambering vines, spectacular butterflies and strange-looking insects are all integral features of this superbly-balanced and stable environment which is the end-product of millions of years of evolution.

The potential species list is huge and includes such specialties as Crested Fireback, various spp of Woodpecker and Hornbill, Banded Pitta and Striped Wren-Babbler. Other specialities we have a good chance of observing include Blackthighed Falconet, Large Green Pigeon, Black-bellied Malkoha, Blue-rumped Parrot, Reddish Scops Owl, Rufous-backed Kingfisher, Banded Woodpecker, Banded Pitta, Black Magpie, Crested Jay, Black-throated and White-necked Babblers, Large WrenBabbler, Long-billed Spiderhunter and Crimson-breasted Flowerpecker. We should also come across at least one of Taman Negara’s most difficult specialities, which include the extraordinary Great Argus, Malayan Peacock-Pheasant, Rufous-collared Kingfisher, the strange Rail-Babbler and Grey-chested Jungle Flycatcher. Overnight Mutiara Resort Taman Negara (en-suite hotel room; meals included: B, L, D).

After breakfast and some final birding in Taman Negara we’ll reluctantly leave this magical place behind as a change of scenery awaits us: the cool highlands of Fraser’s Hill. This attractive hill station is surrounded by excellent broadleaved evergreen forests that offer a sharply contrasting avifauna to that of the lowlands, including the cute Pygmy Wren-Babbler and the beautiful Long-tailed Sibia,as well as specialities like Fire-tufted Barbet, Black-and-crimson Oriole, Javan Cuckoo-shrike, the endemic Malayan Whistling Thrush, Rufous-browed and Pygmy Blue Flycatchers, Blue Nuthatch, Black and Malayan Laughing-thrush while more difficult specialities include the endemic Malayan Partridge, Ferruginous Partridge, Yellow-vented Green Pigeon, Rusty-naped Pitta and Marbled Wren-Babbler. Overnight: Shahzan Hotel (en-suite hotel room; meals included: B, L, D).

We’ll spend two full days birding the forests of Fraser’s Hill. A relaxed pace, gentle climate and scenic environment make for great birding, while a range of excellent local restaurants will cater for various taste buds. Overnight: Shahzan Hotel (en-suite hotel room, meals included: B, L, D).

After an early breakfast and some final birding we travel and bird down the hills to the lowlands near the coast, picking up any key species we may have missed. Arriving in the town of Kuala Selangor we have lunch and check into our final hotel for the trip, before heading out again to bird the nearby bird-rich city park (Oriental Pied Hornbill, Greater Flameback, Ruby-cheeked Sunbird, Pink-necked Green Pigeon and Crested Goshawk are just some of the birds awaiting us here). Overnight: Kuala Selangor (en-suite hotel room; meals included: D).

This morning will find us birding the Kuala Selangor Mangrove and lowland forest reserve. Here the mangroves and coastal forests offer specialities such as Mangrove Pitta, Mangrove Blue Flycatcher, Mangrove Whistler, Chestnutbellied Malkoha, Golden-bellied Gerygone, Lesser Adjutant stork and, with luck, Buffy Fish Owl. After a final, late lunch we check the Paya Indau wetlands to add some common waterbirds such as White-breasted Waterhen, Red-wattled Lapwing and a chance of Yellow Bittern, before we reluctantly head back to the airport for your flight home (own arrangement). We can arrange for you to be returned to a hotel which we can book for you if you wish to stay on. Please don’t book any flights departing before 7pm this evening of 1 June. (meals included: B, L). Return to Kuala Lumpur end.